Last updated on April 5, 2024
Question:
What is the average voice deepness level for a 15 – 16 year old? My voice is in the 110 Hz range, and I wonder if it’s relatively deep for my age. My dad has a very deep voice, and I seem to have inherited many of his genes.
Answer:
When discussing the characteristics of an adolescent, it is more useful to use a person’s stage of development than their physical age. People develop at different times. For example, the voice tends to lower during stage 4 in males. However, stage 4 can start as early as 12 or as late as 18. The average age for starting stage 4 is 15. Regardless of when the stage starts, it lasts about two years.
I mention all of this because it makes it difficult to talk about what is the average pitch of a male’s voice at a particular age. Has his voice started to change, or has it already changed?
Instead, let’s talk about the target. “Current literature suggests that the male mean speaking frequency is at 100–120 Hz and the female mean speaking frequency is approximately one octave above the male mean speaking frequency at 200–220 Hz.” [1] Even though you probably have not yet reached full adulthood, your speaking voice is already as low as the average adult male.
- Berg, M., Fuchs, M., Wirkner, K., Loeffler, M., Engel, C., & Berger, T. (2017). The Speaking Voice in the General Population: Normative Data and Associations to Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors. Journal of Voice, 31(2), 257.e13-257.e24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.06.001
Response:
Yes, it has started to change and is still seemingly changing. Thanks a lot for your help!